AN: I want to thank everyone who have been reading and reviewing my story. You have been really supportive everyone and that keeps me going in difficult times like these. Have been off the writing part for awhile, because of the dreaded writer's block. But your kind remarks is the main reason I've started again.
Also, I like when people are honest about it, so don't hesitate to point out anything that you think can be improved.
Anyways... keep on reviewing! You guys are the greatest!
The most important work you and I will ever do will be within the walls of our own homes.
Harold B. Lee
US Mormon clergyman (1899 - 1973)
Chapter 7
Fort Knox
"Can't believe that no one came to help us!" Sabrina said as she held the door for the other three. Pat couldn't walk by himself, so Sean and Mike had supported him from the car to the front door.
"I'm calling the cops right now!" Sabrina said and went for the stairs. "You left the cell phone in your room, right?"
"Ehm, yeah." Sean said not really paying attention. He was too busy dragging Pat around. He didn't use his legs at all, so Mike and Sean were practically carrying him. They put him down on the sofa in the living room.
"Phew!" Sean sighed. "Damn, you're heavy."
Pat didn't respond he just closed his eyes and tried to rest.
"So… What the hell happened out there?" Sean asked Mike.
"Some bum just walked out in front of us when we took the turn. Pat dodged him, but then the car spun out of control and we hit that streetlamp." Mike paused. "That's the last I remember."
"Okay…" He thought about it for awhile. "You said a bum? In this neighborhood?"
"Yeah, I know. But I'm pretty sure he was a bum."
"How come?"
"Cause he was wearing dirty, worn out clothes. And he had long greasy hair. Plus he seemed drunk."
A cold shiver went up through Sean's spine. That was exactly how he would describe the man who attacked him earlier.
"Did you happen to see his eyes?"
"No… Why?" Mike said and frowned.
"No reason…" Sean replied, not telling anything about the struggle he had had with that "thing". He didn't want to trouble him with anymore worries.
"But what about Judy?" Sean asked.
"Yeah, we never got to the dormitory. There are huge roadblocks in downtown. But I called her and she got someone else to drive her."
"Okay, that's good."
"Yeah, and she said that she would call me when she got out of the city."
"Then let us hope she will make it out in time."
Suddenly Sabrina came running down the stairs with the cell in her hand.
"Good news. I've called 911 and told everything about the crash. So they will try to get a patrol car out here to sort this mess out."
"Okay, it's a little late for that, but I guess we have to report what happened." Mike said.
All of them went silent for awhile. Then Sean got up from the chair he was sitting in. He walked over to Sabrina.
"Would you help me with the bandage?" He asked her silently so Mike wouldn't hear it. She nodded and followed him upstairs. They went to his room where she had left the med. kit.
"Still can't believe that no one did anything out there." Sabrina said and unpacked the kit.
"Can you blame them? They were all told to stay indoors no matter what?" Sean said and sat down in the bed.
"But that wouldn't stop you, would it?"
"Well I don't know… Maybe not." He rolled up his sleeve on his right arm, exposing the bite.
She found a bandage and a cleansing tissue and started cleansing his wound. It wasn't that bad, the bleeding had stopped, so she just had to clean it and wrap it in the bandage to keep it closed. But as she did it she slowly started sobbing, because she couldn't take this any more. Sean had been attacked by this "thing", and her friends had been in serious danger just few minutes ago. That was just too much for her. And she had a feeling that this was only the beginning. Sean hugged her and held her tight.
"Sean, I'm so scared…" She whispered as the tears ran from her eyes.
"It's ok… It's ok." He said trying to calm her down.
"No it's not! Mike and Pat could have died in that crash and you…" She sniffled. "You might be infected with that virus because of that bite."
Sean looked her in the eyes.
"The symptoms were itching and nausea, right?" Sean said sounding optimistic.
She nodded while drying her eyes.
"Well, I haven't felt any of those." He said and forced a smile. "So maybe I'm not infected at all."
She smiled at him. No matter how bad things were Sean could always turn it to something good. She really loved his optimism, but she knew that there was no way to tell if he had been infected or not. They didn't know how long it would take before the symptoms would show. But still he managed to calm her down, even though she knew these things.
"I love you Sean…" She whispered to him.
"I love you too, Sabrina." He whispered back to her and kissed her. I love you so much…
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Upstairs Sabrina was sleeping and in the living room Pat was resting. Mike had fallen asleep too, as he sat there in the armchair. Sean couldn't sleep, because of the bite. It was aching like hell. That guy had really got his teeth in deep. He was lucky that he hadn't bitten an entire chunk out of his arm. Sean tried to ignore it and focused on something else.
He started watching Pat, who was still lying in the sofa. He was asleep, but he kept making grimaces with his face, like he was having a bad dream or something. It was weird to see such a big guy be so vulnerable. Sean had always thought of him as unbreakable, but he could break just like everyone else. It was quite sad when he thought of it. But he was going to be fine.
Sean wished he could get some sleep. He really needed it, though he wasn't tired. It would, however,eventually catch up with him. But someone had to stay up anyways. The police could be there any minute.
He sat down at the kitchen table, because he was getting tired ofstanding up. His eyes traveled to the clock on the wall. 4.41 it said.
What is taking them so long? He thought and yawned. Actually he was kind of tired. Well, it can't hurt to close my eyes for just a sec.
His head slowly went towards the table as he closed his eyes. He rested his head on his right arm and…
"Aww!" He sat up again and bit his teeth hard together. He had placed his head right on the wound and now it was hurting more than ever. He felt pretty stupid by doing so. Now he couldn't sleep at all, but maybe that was for the better.
Then his cell phone started ringing. It was probably his dad, calling to check if they had made it out of town.
"Yeah?"
"Sean. It's your dad. Have you made it out safe?"
Sean paused for a second. He knew his dad was going to freak when he heard that they still were inside the city.
"No."
"What do you mean "no"!"
"We're still in the city. Pat and Mike were involved in a car crash, and Pat sustained a concussion."
"Damn." He said, knowing how much those guys meant to Sean. "Are they going to be all right?"
"Yes, but we can't seem to get the police out here. We've called for them, but they haven't shown up yet."
"Don't expect them to show up. The city is a mess."
"So I have been told. But how do you know?"
"I'm watching the city by satellite."
"What? Isn't that illegal?"
"Yeah, well that's not the only illegalities Umbrella is doing. But never mind that. Are you at the house?"
"Yeah. And looks like we're gonna stay here for awhile. We can't move Pat. That would make his condition worse."
"That doesn't matter anyways. The city has already been barricaded."
"Shit!"
"Yes, the military set up the blockades an hour ago. So you can't leave."
"So what do we do then?"
"You have to stay in the house. And don't let anyone in. Just stay there and wait for further instructions from me."
"All right. Wasn't planning on going anywhere anyway."
"By the way, have any of your friends been bitten by anything or anyone?"
Sean went silent for awhile.
"Ehm no, but I've been. Some guy attacked me outside the house."
"Hmm…Are you all right?"
"Well, yeah. But isn't there a chance that I've been infected?"
"Yes, but that doesn't matter. As long as you haven't gotten sick. But I'll have to explain later. "
"What? What do you mean?" He was cut short by a series of sounds over the phone.
"Crap! I have to go Sean. They might be on to me…"
"On to you? What's going on?" Said Sean, getting really pissed of not getting any answers. But his dad had already hung up.
"Arggh!" He sneered and threw the phone aside.
What did he mean it didn't matter? Sean thought and covered his face with his hands of frustration. How can it not matter thatI'minfected?
He couldn't quite figure it out, but he trusted his father. He knew a lot about medical stuff. So if he said that Sean shouldn't worry about it, then he really shouldn't.
Hell, I gotta get some sleep. He thought and walked upstairs to Sabrina. She was sound asleep lying on her side, and Sean just lay down beside her. He didn't even bother taking his clothes off first. He just closed his eyes and fell asleep almost instantly.
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Sean slowly came to his senses. He opened his eyes and expected to see Sabrina lying besides him. But she was nowhere to be seen. He quickly sat up and looked around the room, hoping to find her. It was day and the sun shined through the window illuminating every corner of the room. But Sabrina wasn't there. He crawled out the bed and stood up.
"Whoa!" He said and rubbed his eyes. He had got up to fast so his vision went blurry for a second.
When he came to, he ran to the door. Downstairs were the sound of a TV that was on. Sounded like the news or something.
He ran downstairs and saw them all standing in front of the TV.
"Hey Sean, you're up?" Sabrina said surprised and walked up to him. She gave him a kiss.
"Mmm, cereal." Sean said when tasting her.
"Yeah, I just had breakfast." She giggled.
"And you showered too?"
"Yes, but I couldn't get myself to wake you up. You were sleeping so gently." She said and put a hand on his cheek.
"Hey, keep it down!" Pat said a little annoyed by their cuddling. "We're trying to watch the news here."
Sean just looked back at Sabrina and shrugged. He then looked to the TV. It displayed a lot of images through out the city. It was exactly as Pat and Mike had described it; a mess.
"Here we're standing at the RPD headquarters, where the police are apparently setting up a perimeter to hold back any potential riots. We are going to ask Chief Inspector Brian Irons what exactly is going on. There he is."
The reporter walked up to Irons, but got turned down instantly.
"Get that damn camera out of my face!" He was yelling and pushed the camera away.
"Uhmm, back to the studio." The reporter said and on the screen a studio appeared.
"We have no more footage of the incidents so far, but are working on it as of now."
The TV suddenly went on emergency broadcast. Pat sighed and lay down in the sofa.
"What's wrong?" Sean asked him.
"It's been like that all morning. All little news and a lot this." He said and pointed at the TV.
"That sucks…" Sean said and looked over at Mike. "Any changes so far?"
"No, not really. But everything is slowly getting worse. There was an attack on one of the news reporters earlier this morning."
"Sick. What happened?"
"I'm not sure, but the camera suddenly went all shaky and went black seconds later. And you could hear a lot of screaming and yelling."
"Yeah, it was terrible." Sabrina said.
Sean stopped to think for awhile. The disease was getting closer and closer by the hour. They had to do something.
"We have to make a plan of how we're gonna tackle this." He meant.
"What do you mean?" Mike asked.
"Well, we have to take some precautions."
"Yeah, the riots will get here. It's just a matter of time." Pat intervened.
"What, you mean like barricading the doors or somethin'?" Mike asked.
Sean shrugged.
"Well, yeah. Something like that."
"Isn't that a little hasty?" Mike asked a little skeptic. "I think we should wait and see. It's not like it's outside our doors already, right?"
Sean looked over at Sabrina, and she nodded. She knew what was coming. He pulled up his sleeve and showed the bloody bandage to Pat and Mike.
"What the fucks that? Did you cut yourself at the car crash?" Mike asked a little shocked. "Why are you showing us this now?"
Sean shook his head.
"It's not a cut. It's a bite." Sean said.
"What!?" Pat burst out.
"Yeah, got attacked this night." Sean said and started explaining the entire séance as it had happened...
"So he had just got up and walked away?" Mike asked after hearing Sean telling the story.
"I guess. But I think it's the same guy who walked out in front of your car Pat."
"It sure seems like it. The way you described him sounds exactly like what we saw."
"But if there's one, there's most likely more, right?" Sabrina asked wondering.
They all looked her way.
"You're right." Mike said. "We have to barricade the house."
"Pat, are you feeling up to that?" Sabrina asked referring to his concussion.
"Of course, can't just sit here letting you guys do all the work." He answered determined. "Besides, I'm feeling much better today."
"That's a good sign. Doesn't seem like you have taken any serious damage either. Your bruises look better now." Sabrina said after a closer look at his forehead.
"It's not like he would sustain any brain damage if that was the case." Mike said and chuckled. "Due to the lack of brain."
"Think you're pretty funny, huh?" Pat said and kicked him on the thigh.
"Aww! Can't you take a joke?" Mike said and punched his shoulder. Sean looked over at Sabrina and they both shook their heads.
"Come on guys!" Sean said and clapped his hands hard to get everyone's full attention. "This is serious. We need to get this house locked down."
Mike and Pat stopped their childish acts. Mike helped Pat to his feet and they walked to Sean.
"Come on, let's sit at the table." Sabrina said.
"Good idea." Sean said and found a pen and some paper. He sat down and drew a quick sketch of the house. "Okay, here's how we're gonna do this…"
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A couple hours later the house was almost completely barricaded.
All windows on the first floor had been sealed shut with nails, and some boards had been nailed to the frames. But they had placed the boards outside the house instead of inside. That was to keep the windows from being smashed. The backdoor to the house had been locked and the freezer had been moved in front of it. So it couldn't be kicked in if someone tried to. The garage door hadn't been barricaded or anything. No one could get that open if it was locked anyways. Sean had parked his Civic inside the garage for quick escape too.
The only openings they hadn't been blocked, were the windows on second floor and the front door. The windows were simply because it was impossible to reach them from the ground and the front door were their second escape route, so it had only been locked. Besides, the front door was strong and not likely to break if someone tried to force their way through it. But they had placed a heavy bookcase next to the door. It could be used for reinforcement if it became necessary.
Sean, who had just nailed the last boards to the living room windows, lowered the hammer and looked over at Mike. He was standingon a chair and was reaching for the censor over the garage. Sean hadn't noticed that until now.
"Ehm, Mike?" He asked kind of curious of what was going on.
"Yeah?"
"What ehh… What are you doing?"
"Making an alarm out of your censor." Mike explained without taking his eyes of the wire he had pulled out.
"Can you do that?" Sean asked surprised.
"Yep. I found a smoke detector in your garage and I think if I bypass the power, I can make the alarm sound when the lights turn on."
"Okay..." Sean said not understanding it fully. "So if someone triggers the censor, both the lights and the alarm will go on at the same time?"
"Yes, that's what I'm hoping for."
"All right, cool." Sean scratched his head. He didn't know much about electricity, but Mike knew a lot. He had been a tech-freak ever since highschool. But it was first until now Mike had been putting his skills to good use.
"So where have you placed the smoke detector?" Sean asked and looked around, trying to find it.
"It's placed on the inside of the front door. That's the furthest it will go. The wire isn't longer." Mike explained.
"But we will be able to hear it right?"
"Well, it's not very loud, but I think it's loud enough to be heard from upstairs for example."
"Guess that will do."
Mike then jumped down from the chair.
"All done." He said and looked over at Sean. "Let's see if it works."
He stepped out in front of the censor and started waving his arms at it.
Nothing happened. Not even the lights turned on.
"Argh, of course." He said and slapped his forehead. "The censor won't turn on in daylight. We have to wait till it gets dark."
"Well that sucks." Sean said and looked disappointed. "Isn't there some other way to do it?"
"Yeah, I guess we can try to turn on the lights manually and see if the alarm sounds. But that doesn't prove that it will go off when the censor is activated."
"Heck, we'll try it anyways." Sean said and walked to the front door, where the switch was. He pressed it.
Suddenly a bright and loud noise sounded. It was so agitating that it forced Sean to cover his ears.
"Argh! How do I turn this thing off?" Sean yelled over the screeching noise.
Mike just grinned and ran to him. He quickly found the smoke detector besides the door and pressed a button on it.
"You just press this button here." He said and pointed at it.
"Not very loud!" Sean asked and rubbed his ears.
"Well that's because you're standing so close to it." Mike grinned again and switched off the lights outside.
Pat and Sabrina, who had been sitting in the kitchen resting, suddenly came running.
"What's going on out here!" Sabrina asked, looking like one big question mark. Pat was looking pretty much the same.
"Nothin'. Just testing our new alarm system." Mike said and chuckled.
"What the f… You almost gave me a heart attack, man!" Pat said and frowned at Mike. "Plus I've got a major headache!"
"Didn't mean to freak you out, man. I'm sorry."
Sabrina looked over at Sean who was rolling his eyes at them.
"Are you guys just gonna stand there nagging or are you gonna explain what this alarm thing is for?" She asked straight out.
"Yeah yeah, of course. Follow me." Mike said and waved her and Pat outside.
"I'm gonna take care of some stuff inside." Sean said to Mike. He responded with a light nod.
Sean went up the stairs heading for his room. He walked to his closet and was about to open it, but stopped. He didn't like what he was about to do. But it was necessary in the situation they were in. It had to be done.
He opened the closet stepped into it. He then pressed the four digit code and unlocked his gun safe.
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When Sean came back downstairs, his friends were standing by the kitchen table, talking. But they all stopped when they saw what he was carrying.
He had the shotgun in one hand and a black RPD bag in the other. A bag usually carrying tactical gear for the precincts special forces. But Pat knew what was in it. All of Sean's "toys".
Sean placed the bag on the table along with the shotgun. No one said anything. Until he broke the silence himself.
"I know it seems a little rash, but I just think that we should prepare for the worst." Sean stated and looked around at his friends. "Okay?"
Pat lifted up the Benelli and checked it out.
"Now, I'm not saying that we should carry them around or anything. We should only use them at extreme emergencies." He looked across their faces again. "So we need to find some places to put them. Some places with quick and easy access."
It was clear that Pat hadn't got anything against it. He wasn't really listening, in fact he was checking out the shotgun. But Mike didn't seem to like the idea and Sabrina didn't either.
"I can't fire a gun at another person. I just can't." Mike said with a skeptic look.
"I don't think I'm capable of it either." Sean admitted. "But if those things somehow get in here, then we have to defend ourselves."
"I think it's a good idea." Pat said, still playing with the shotgun. "You know, just in case." He said and looked up at Mike.
Then Sabrina stepped towards the table, grabbed the bag and opened it. She started taking out each gun and every other piece of equipment. On the table were now a 9mm Beretta, a .45 Colt M1911, some spares mags and a dot sight withamount for the Colt.
Sabrina picked up the 9mm and looked at it for awhile. Then she pushed out the mag to check if it was empty. Pushing it back in, she went for the slide and pulled it back. She looked in the chamber to see if it was loaded. She knew it wasn't, but she had to see. When she saw that it was clear, she let slide go forward again. Then she uncocked it by holding back the cock with her thumb and then pressing the trigger.
"This one is mine." She said and held it up.
The guys just stood there with their mouths wide open.
"I don't know about you guys, but I think that was kinda hot." Pat said and put down the shotgun gently.
Normally a comment like that would have made her smile, but she was being deadly serious about the whole situation. She couldn't get herself to smile at all.
"Wait a second. I've got two more in my bag." Pat said and went to go look for it.
Some time later he returned with a silver 9mm Beretta and what Sean recognized as a Smith&Wesson model 360 Airlite. Pat handed the revolver to Sean, who immediately pushed out the cylinder and emptied the cartridges out on the table.
Pat had removed the mag from the Beretta and pulled back the slide, so that the chambered bullet came flying out. He then caught it in midair just as he had done it last night.
"Is that something they teach you at the police academy?" Sean asked with a smirk.
"No not really. I just like doing it all the time." He answered kind of dull.
They collected all the guns at the table and Sean started evaluating what they had.
"So we got… two 9mm, a .45 cal., a .357 cal., if I'm correct..?"
"Yes." Pat nodded.
"… and a 12 gauge shotgun." Sean finished.
"Don't you think this is all too much, Sean? I mean, they're just human beings who had gotten ill by that disease." Mike said.
"Trust me when I say this, Mike. Those "things" are NOT human."
"What do you mean "not human"?"
"Well, for starters Sabrina broke that guys ribs at such a degree, that the ribs would have punctured several vital organs."
"No one would survive internal bleedings for so long." Sabrina stated.
"Besides, I'm not even sure this guy was alive when he attacked me."
"Whaa..?"
"I don't know how, but it was like he was rotting. Decomposing…" Sean described and swallowed hard. "Like he was already dead or something."
"What? You mean like a "zombie"?" Pat joked.
"Yeah, I guess that's the most… suitable word for it."
Pat stopped chuckling.
"You're serious?"
"Yes, man. I'm not fucking kiddin you! That guy was rotting before my freakin eyes!"
Mike finally got it. He knew that Sean would never say such things without being serious about it. And when Sean spoke in that tone, there was no way he could be mistaken. He had to trust his decision.
"All right. I'm in." He said. "But the revolver is mine!"
